Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-09-01

are famous We note that no heavy
or unwomanly tasks are laid upon the
females. In the store-rooms
and masters apartments are to be
seen great variety of objects heaped
together or lying about without any
attempt at order. Here may be found
the owners weapons of war-many
double-edged swords, with scabbards
handsomely ornamented with leather
and brass, and suspended by elaborate
and betasselled silk ropes, daggers in
tended to be attached to the wrist by
a leather band-the cross-shaped ham
die when thus carried almost lying
in the palm of the hand-beautiful long
iron spears neatly and prettily inlaid
with brass bands, and generally
barbed, revolvers and pistols of the
most obsolete types, as well as flint
lock guns, which look as if they would
be as dangerous to the user as they
could possibly be to an enemy. Such
are the offensive weapons. But there
are also to be seen war dresses of enor-
mously thick quilts, intended spe-
cially as protection against poi
soned arrows. The warrior when en-
cased in these cumbersome garments
looks the most unwieldly and barrel
like of African Falstaffs, as he can
neither mount his horse nor dismount
without assistance, and if endorsed he
is perfectly helpless. Many of the
wealthy chiefs have also very beautiful
coats of chain armor, with head-gear
to match, which are probably of old
Moorish workmanship, and are said
by the natives to be as old as David,
and are accordingly valued at great
price.
Besides the objects which SAVIOR of
war, numbers of other things lying
about in artistic disorder attract at
tention. Brass vessels are the most
conspicuous, and indicate a manipu-
lative skill and an artistic taste which
we would certainly not expect in such
a country. The chief types of native
work are large circular salvers or
trays, globular vessels, others carafe-
like in form, urns resembling coffee
pots. They are all deliberately orna-
mented either in repousse or chased in
the intricate manner which character
ICES Moorish art. Many of the designs
are most beautiful, and worked out
with patient care. In the brasswork-
er's art, as IN so many other things,
the influence of North African ideas is
easily traceable, though how they have
come to take such fixed root in the
Soudan it would be difficult to say.
Our wonder at the quaint and effective
work is enhanced on learning that al
these vessels are hammered out o.
brass rods, each two feet long and o.
the thickness of telegraph wire, il
which form it reaches these parts from
Europe.
The specimens of pottery which W.
see lying about exhibit wonderful
skill in that industry, considering tina
as yet they have not adopted the pot
ter's wheel. The most extraordinar,
objects, however, which attract our at
tention are the skin vessels for holding
oil. In some way or other they ar,
nodded into the required forms out o
raw hide, and so constructed in
single piece as hardly to show tn
slightest trace of joint They arr
not sewed, but the two edges of tn
; skin are made to adhere most firml,
by some means. The outer aspect i
ornamented in black, white and ligh
brown with strips of skin having thes
r colors. The hair is left on except OF
the neck. They are ingeniously fitte'
with caps or lids to keep out any for
: eign matter. Only oil or grain is KEEP
5 in them, as water softens the untanne,
, skin. In some cases they are clearl
r intended more for ornament than use
as frequently four smaller vessels 0
the same pattern are attached to tn
:. chief one with the most happy an
4 artistic effect.
Y One thing which we can not fail I
S notice in looking round Wurnu house
Il hold of the upper ten" is that tn
y people have largely acquired astheti
tastes, and delight to surround them
r selves with articles which please tn
= eye, as well as with those which ar
J. merely useful; and to minister to thi
!, taste score of industries have sprun
!, up.-Joseph Thomson, in Hdrper's Mag